Although his team currently has a 3-6 record, Docherty stressed in a phone interview this week that the losses his team has suffered aren’t for lack of effort or skill.

“I just feel sorry for the girls,” he said. “They haven’t been outplayed yet, and it’s just frustrating because the results say otherwise.”

Docherty’s statement was punctuated by the team’s latest loss, a May 2 heartbreaker to Bridgewater-Raynham with a final score of 10-8.

To see first-hand the level of play his team has been putting in, Docherty encourages folks to come to a game.

Those at Monday’s match saw the Red Raiders quickly regroup defensively after the Trojans eked out an early lead.

Trailing by two, Barnstable’s Nuala Deely, Jazzy Lambert, Mary Horn and Joey Johnson stepped up the Raiders’ defense greatly, allowing for a more confident offense to tally two back-to-back goals to tie the Trojans at 4-all.

From there, the teams traded goals for the game’s remainder, with the Trojans netting the final three to earn the win.

Scoring for Barnstable were Maddy Shopshire with three, Taylor Dooley with two, and Karin Leary, Krissy Klimm and Meghan Lee each with one.

Docherty was reluctant to offer praise to just one player, however, feeling that the well-played game was a team effort.

“It would be unfair for me to say one person,” he said. “Everyone who got on was awesome.”

For Docherty, the focus was less on the disappointment of another loss than it was on his team’s improved level of play.

“They’ve been unbelievable all season,” Docherty said. “I’ve never coached a group of girls who’ve been better.”

Docherty said that the overall attitude of his team is reflected in how they come off the field at the end of a game, win or lose.

“You can judge it by the girls when they leave the field,” Docherty said, noting that they typically leave knowing they played their best. “I’d rather have the kids doing that, happy with themselves no matter what the score.”

The team’s attitude during the game is also important to their new head coach.

“They’ve been doing some visualization training,” he said. “During the game, they’ll sit there and stay calm no matter what happens. They know that no matter what happens you just get on with the job.”

What matters most to Docherty is that his team’s high school lacrosse experience remains positive.

“They’re here for the right reasons,” he said. They’re just there because they enjoy it and they want to have fun. They’re just a good group and I can’t speak highly enough of them.”

The team hosts Fairhaven tomorrow (May 7) at 3 p.m. and Dartmouth on May 11 at 5:15 p.m.